Mexican Chopped Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While this is a terrific salad to serve with Southwestern or Mexican inspired meals, it also works well with plain grilled or barbecued meats. While there is some chopping to do, the salad is easy to make and substantial enough to serve as a stand alone meal if you are trying to cut back on the amount of meat you eat. The dressing is what takes this salad out of the realm of the ordinary, but it is important to keep a couple of things in mind when you prepare it. The lettuce should be mixed with the other ingredients just before the salad is dressed, and it should be dressed just before it is served. If necessary, this salad can be extended with another head of romaine, so, its great to serve when you are uncertain about the number of people you'll be serving. Unfortunately, the salad is not a good keeper, so don't go overboard and make more salad than you can eat in one sitting. I love the color and texture of this salad and can recommend it to you with only slight reservations. Do give this recipe a try, and barring that, file it for use later this summer. Here is how it's made.


Mexican Chopped Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Self magazine

Ingredients:
Salad
2 heads chopped romaine lettuce
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained
3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked (or frozen or canned)
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
Half a ripe avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
Honey-Lime Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño pepper (use canned for less heat)

Directions:
1) Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2) In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 4 servings.

                    

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